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Old 04-06-2021, 09:08 PM   #41
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Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 578
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: MVP ER
Engine: CAT 3126
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eneldo4444 View Post
I have 2001 and having a hard time figuring out the relay? Also seems my air brakes won’t release? Did you ever fix this issue?
On my 2001 Thomas MVP ER, there is an interlock with the brakes for if the wheelchair door is open. To be more specific it applies the service brakes when the door is open. I'm not exactly sure how the system actually works, however I would guess you've inadvertently made the bus think the door is open.

On my bus I found a 4 pin connector that lead to the door, its light, the lift solenoid, and door switch. I unplugged it and haven't had any issues since. I also bypassed the interlocks for the wheelchair lift by running the wire direct to a toggle switch.

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Old 05-10-2021, 06:10 PM   #42
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I have an 08 GMC Duramax 6.6L. Its 20.5 ft long. This thing has been the biggest headache- I am almost considering quitting. There is constantly something preventing it from starting. Brought it to a mechanic, was under the impression they disabled the system. They didn't. I ripped out a bunch of wires like an idiot thinking they did what they said.


So now I'm in a bigger pickle. When I couldn't get it started I had it towed to a mechanic. The tow driver was not getting power while attempting to put it in neutral so he applied so much pressure to the gear shifter he broke something. The key was unable to turn in the ignition. So the mechanic replaced it somehow with a quick fix. So now I have a new key, but I cannot get the key out. Apparently I need a new steering column.



In addition I can't start the bus. It left the mechanic started, I was able to drive it 50 miles. I turned it off by pulling the power fuse, which is what the mechanic taught me I'd need to do to turn it off till I replace the column. But it won't restart and is acting exactly the same as it did before when the vandalock was the cultprit. It will alarm once I try to start it as if someone is trying to break in.



My questions: 1) how to bypass the vandalock system?- my entire electric is different from the pictures in this thread. See attached.
2) Since I cannot get the key out- can I install a push to start button? If so, will the push to start also be a bypass for the vandalock system if I hook it directly up to the starter solenoid?
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Old 07-19-2021, 06:04 PM   #43
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Year: 2006
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Chassis: Saf-T-Liner HDX
Engine: Cat c7
2006 Thomas SAFTLINER

Hey all I have the same thing going on and the panel looks pretty different, anyone able to help me out?

I traced the wires from the ignition the best I could and they arrive at this relay
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Old 08-13-2021, 11:34 AM   #44
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2003 Ford E450 Thomas Built Vandalock removal

I have seen many builds on youtube where it seems most if not all of the actual school bus component of the wiring has been removed. I am assuming that includes the Vandalock system. I'd like to clear out all the wiring above the driver seat that I can. Has anyone been able to completely remove the Vandalock and extra wiring?
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Old 08-15-2021, 05:04 PM   #45
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Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas Built Minotour
Chassis: E450
Engine: 7.3 ltr D
Rated Cap: 14,000
vandalock

alaskan mopar

we have the same wiring. i have a 2003 e450 cutaway with the thomas minotour. i am not an electrician but after days of studyin the schematics, also never seen any of those before... i figured it out. the important step is bypassing the vandalock relay. which is in pos k3 for us. (the second relay on the long line of relays. there are different ways to do this, for now i am removing the relay its self and adding a bridge between my ignition wires orange and orange black. and i am going to ground the yellow wire coming out of the same relay ol' b32. i havent done it yet because i need my car to charge the batteries again. when i accomplish this task i will take pictures and send you more detailed instructions, if those werent sufficient
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Old 08-16-2021, 09:25 AM   #46
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Awesome thank you very much!
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Old 09-12-2021, 08:58 PM   #47
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Year: 1997
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The craziness to my bus is that I don't even have a relay. It's a 1997 Thomas Built SAF-T Liner. If anyone can help, that would be great, I'm losing my mind.
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Old 09-13-2021, 08:24 AM   #48
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Help me

I need to disable my vandalock. I have a 1997 Thomas Built SAF-T Liner. I don't have the relay everyone else has, atleast I don't think I do. Here are some pictures for anyone who can guide me.





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Old 09-13-2021, 07:22 PM   #49
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Figured it out on my own !

Ran a power wire from the far left terminal(as shown in attached photo underneath) behind the ignition, to a power source in the electrical panel on the exterior. Problem solved . Everything works perfectly

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Old 09-27-2021, 10:47 AM   #50
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Year: 1999
Chassis: International Genesis
Engine: Navistar D466
Quote:
Originally Posted by VeldatheWonderbus View Post
All I can say is that if disconnecting the exits resulted in the bus not starting, there's a relay somewhere. Follow the wires until you find it, because you have to disconnect it to get your bus to start again. If the bus is starting, then you're right, there isn't a relay to remove. Good luck!
I think I have the same bus as you, and I ran a jumper from one side of the interlock relay to the other, and no issues after that. My bus wouldn't start if the doors were open, and after moving the exit windows and the rear exit switches the buzzing was insane and I could hear switches trying to activate all over the bus, along with the no-start. Wiring in a small jumper between the terminals with the two pink wires totally resolved the issue.
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Old 10-09-2021, 11:15 PM   #51
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Year: 95'
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Rated Cap: 80 Kids
Vandalock Help - No relay or additional wire?

Hello There,

I have a 95' Thomas and my bus will not start due to what I have diagnosed to be the vandalock system after I removed the door sensors on all the doors and back window. I followed The steps in this thread and I am stuck because my wiring is a little different - I do not have an additional wire from the terminal going to a relay - I cannot find a relay.

From my ignition I have 2 larger purple wires, 2 smaller purple wires with stripes, a pink wire with a stripe and a small black wire.

- The small black wire goes from the ignition into the dash icon panel that lights up showing you little icons like seat belt, etc.
- The larger purple wire runs to the terminal and then back to the ignition.
- The smaller purple wire runs to the terminal and back to the ignition. ​
- The pink wire goes from the ignition to the terminal at the bottom to the right of the larger purple ones. From this terminal slot a black wire runs from the terminal to a cylinder thing.

There is no additional wire coming off the terminal into a relay. I cannot find the relay. None of the wires are spliced leading elsewhere.

Someone else in this thread had a similar issue and simply connected a wire from the ignition to a power source on the terminal. I am weary of making mistakes with my panel. I am having a hard time and could use some guidance. Attached are some photos of my panel. if it is this easy as attached a new wire can someone help me with where on the terminal I need to attach to get power to the ignition?

In my pictures, I circled the wires at the terminal as well as the wire coming off the terminal to the cylinder.

I may have found what look like relays due to the picture posted from the start of this thread with a little black box with a switch diagram on it. There are 3 of those in my panel in a line near where the bundle enters the panel by where the defrost hose used to connect. Since there are 3 of these, I am uncertain if they are indeed the relay and what to do then as they don't directly connect the ignition.

I am open to calling or texting as well.
blessings,
Taylor
206.391.1982
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Old 10-09-2021, 11:23 PM   #52
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Hey There,

I have a 95' Thomas and she won't start due to the Vandalock. When I went to follow the thread I had a similar situation as you - there was no additional wire from the terminal to a relay - I couldn't find my relay. Only wires coming from and back to the ignition.

Can you help me with your solution - running a wire directly from a power source at the terminal to the ignition? Can you possible send me a picture of your panel showing where you connected this? What size wire did you use? Any help you can offer would be appreciated.

Feel free to call, text or email as I am having a hard time and could use some help.

Blessings,
Taylor
206.391.1982
taylor.arndt@gmail.com
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Old 10-09-2021, 11:45 PM   #53
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Okay so I forgot to mention that even with the bypass I have made(that still works), I did some more digging around in my panel, and found that someone had completely cut all the wires that went to the vandalock fuse block, but eventually the system found out that it had been removed after it refreshed due to my battery dying one day randomly. So I consistently checked every wire with a volt checker, also playing around with a jumper wire everywhere, and found that I could start the bus, turn on the all the lights, etc from the electrical panel, so I asked myself "well I can do all this from the outside panel, now why can't I do it from the inside?" And boom, I immediately began focusing on the ignition switch on the inside. That's where I just simply provided it power with a red jumper wire and everything works as should and properly. No issues at all.
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Old 10-10-2021, 11:39 AM   #54
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@K.cabrera
Can you show me how you provided your ignition power with the red jumper wire? Where in your panel did you connect the red wire to that runs to your ignition? My panel is crazy and I dont know what im doing if im being honest. Maybe provide a pic if you can?
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Old 10-10-2021, 01:49 PM   #55
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If you scroll before our messages, I uploaded a picture of behind the ignition, circling in red the specific terminal you need to jump
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Old 10-10-2021, 06:29 PM   #56
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Hey man, Firstly thank you for your help. I've been at a loss with this - this thread is the closest thing I've found and your help is the closest I've come to getting this right since I can't find the relay.

Ok, so I understand the pic you're talking about at the ignition. What I don't understand now is where you connected the ignition to in the panel (the power source?) I don't really understand the panel very well so don't know whats a power source to connect to in there. Would it be possible to send a pic of where you connected to in your panel?

Thanks again,
Taylor
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Old 11-16-2021, 01:30 PM   #57
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Chassis: International Genesis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Creativit_T View Post
Hey man, Firstly thank you for your help. I've been at a loss with this - this thread is the closest thing I've found and your help is the closest I've come to getting this right since I can't find the relay.

Ok, so I understand the pic you're talking about at the ignition. What I don't understand now is where you connected the ignition to in the panel (the power source?) I don't really understand the panel very well so don't know whats a power source to connect to in there. Would it be possible to send a pic of where you connected to in your panel?

Thanks again,
Taylor
Did you get this figured out?
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Old 11-23-2021, 10:17 PM   #58
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04 Ford e350 shorty

Looking for help removing what I can only hope is the interlock on my short bus, took the stop sign and front arm off and now my bus won’t start 🤦🏼 Is it the same process as the vandalock interlock bypass? Attached what manual pages I hope help get her running!
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Old 11-26-2021, 06:58 PM   #59
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Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: 7.3 International
I have a 01 Int Thomas 3800. My bus starts fine cause it's been kinda rigged on a push button start. But I have a buzzer going off non stop it's been this way since I got it. It sounds like it's coming from under the dash area. I do have an ABS light on, but I don't know if that would make a buzzer go off. Any thoughts would be welcome, I'm at a loss as to why it's going off and where the hell it is.

Thanks skoolie folks
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Old 11-27-2021, 09:22 PM   #60
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Year: 95'
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Rated Cap: 80 Kids
Still having issues - Need HELP

Hey Fam, I am posting again because I still haven't figured out this issue. Please anyone out there!

I haven't gotten my 95' Thomas to start still. The relay I am looking for, I seemingly couldn't find in my main panel (Call it panel A). Since this post I have found another panel off the engine that is much more organized and has the relay/vandalock system I think (we'll call or Panel B). So I am close but I'm still not sure what I am looking at. See attached photos. Can someone point out the relay or vandalock?

When I turn the ignition, there is a clicking in Panel B and it stops there. There is also a little block below this Panel next to the engine that has like 10 little vertical lights. When I turn the ignition the first light light or two which are red, light up, then I believe clicks over to the vandalock system and prevents any further action.

Can anyone help me understand this Panel B, where the relay or vandalock system is and how to work around it to start the bus?

Taylor
206.391.1982
Taylor.arndt@gmail.com
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